Latch.



No. 817,878. PATBNTED APR. 17, 190s.

l A. SHEPARD,

LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13. 1905.

AMOS SHEPARD, OF PLANTSVILLE,

AND FJRVVIN MFG. CO., OF NEW BRITAIN,

TION.

CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO RUSSELL CONNECTICUT, A CORPORA- Application filed July T0 all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos SHEPARD, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Plantsville, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Latches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in latches, and the objects of myimprovements are simplicity and economy in construction and convenience and eiliciency in operation, particularly with reference to working smoothly and easily when the hub for the knob-spindle is in the upper part of the case remote from the lock-bolt and with reference to the action of the spring that returns the latch-bolt-operating mechanism.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my latch with the capplate removed. Fig. 2 is a like view with parts broken away and the latch-bolt drawn in by a left-hand turn oi the knob-spindle hub. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view on the line :c :r of Fig. 1, the capplate of the case being in place. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of parts with the latch-bolt removed and the knob-spindle hub turned its full extent in the right-hand direction. Fig. 5 is an end view of the inner end of the latch-bolt.

The case A in its general form, the lockbolt B, and parts connected therewith may be of any ordinary construction. I prefer, however, to form the easy spring 6 for the latch-bolt as one arm of the spring 7 for the tumblers 8 of the lock.

The cap-screw post 9, which is bored and threaded in the ordinary manner to receive the screw that holds on the cap C of the lockcase is secured to the back or body o'l the case near the middle point from side to side and only a short distance above the middle of the case, measuring vertically, whereby the said post is nearly enough to a central position to eiiectually hold the cap by means of a single screw in the said post. Upon this cap-screw post I pivot my new form of double-acting roll-back 10. The said roll-back is formed of sheet metal having a plate-like body, by which it is pivoted on the post 9 and the edge of which body has two projections 11 with a space or recess between, the same constituting a segment oil a gear.

specification of Letters Patent.

13,1905. semina 269,490.

The iront y Patented April 17, 1906.

oi the roll-back has two latch-bolt-engaging lugs 12, that are bent up from the metal of the body of the roll-back and act upon the two wings 13 of the latch-bolt D substantially the same as an ordinary roll-back, eX- cepting that the said lugs are inclined forwardly from the axis of the roll-back in two different planes instead of standing vertically in one plane. By having the body'of the roll-back in a plate-like form and pivoting it upon a iixed post or studl am enabled to eX- tend the tail 14 of the latch to one side of this roll-back (the front) and beyond the post 9, the said latch-bolt tail being provided with a slot 15 to receive the said post, the outer or front end of the said slot in connection with the said post serving as a stop to limit the inward movement of the latch-bolt, as shown in Fig. 2. This post and slot also serve as guides for that end of the reversible latchbolt to keep it Jfrom moving up or down, while the end lugs 16, bent in reverse directions, bear upon the iront and rear plates of' the case to keep that end of the latch-bolt from moving from front to rear.

The knob-spindle hub 17 has the ordinary opening for the spindle and tenons by which to mount the said hub in the two plates ofthe case. It is also provided with the extension 18 in the plane of the body of the roll-back 10 and with projections 22 with spaces between in the outer edge of the said extension that constitute a segmental gear for engaging and operating the segmental gear of the said rollback, whereby the roll-back may be operated in either direction and draw in the latch-bolt. Tn order to return the latch-bolt-operating parts to their normal position, I employ the double spring 19, which is applied directly to the hub itself instead of to the parts that are actuated by the hub. In the particular Jform shown and the best-known form the spring in edge view is substantially a split ring encircling the body of the hub. A stud or projection 20 is formed on or affixed to the casein position to act as stops for the ends of the'spring to bear upon, and the hub is provided with a projection 21 between the said ends of the spring for acting upon one or the other of the said ends, according to which way the hub is turned. When the hub is in its normal position, the stop on the case and the IOO projection on the hub both lie between the ends of the spring, as shown in Fig. l. Whichever way the hub is turned the projection on the hub moves away from the stud and carries with it one end of the spring, while the other end is held by the stud, thereby separating the ends of the spring and putting the spring under greater tension. As soon as the parts are released the spring returns the parts to their normal position, as shown in Fig. l. Figs. 2 and 4 show the position of the spring as put under increased tension by turning the hub in opposite directions.

By placing the spring directly on the hub the other parts are free from strain and consequent friction. By the split-ring form of spring there is no pressure on the case that has a tendency to force the hub to one side when at rest. By the employment of a hub and a separate double-acting roll-back the construction is simple and the action is smooth and easy. It may also be noted that the stud 20 is the only part on the latch-case which is designed especially for the latchbolt-operating mechanism.

It is apparent that some changes from the specific construction herein disclosed may be made, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form of construction shown and described7 but desire the liberty to make such changes in working my invention as may fairly come within the spirit and scope of the same.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a latch-bolt having two Wings, with a double-acting roll-back having two latch-bolt-engaging lugs, a knobspindle hub separate from the said roll-back, and connecting devices between the said hub and roll-back whereby a motion of the hub in either direction will operate the said roll-back to withdraw the latch-bolt.

2. The combination of a latch-bolt having two wingsfwith a double-acting roll-back having two latch-bolt-engaging lugs, a knobspindle hub separate from the said roll-back and interlocking projections and recesses on the confronting edges of the said roll-back and hub for communicating the motion of the said hub to the said roll-back.

3. The combination of a latch-bolt having two wings with a double-acting rollback having two latch-bolt-engaging lugs, a knobspindle hub separate from the said roll-back and segmental gears on the confronting edges of the said roll-back and hub.

4. The combination of a latch-case with a fixed stud or post on said case7 a` latch-bolt having two wings and a slot that receives the said post, a roll-back having two latch-boltengaging lugs7 the said roll-back being pivoted on the said post, and operating devices for imparting a motion in either direction to the said roll-back.

5. The combination of a latch-case with a fixed stud or post on the said case, a slotted and reversible latch-bolt with its rear end mounted on and guided in the edgewise direction by the said post, the said latch-bolt also having two wings and oppositely-projecting lugs 16 for acting on the front and rear walls of the case for guiding that end of the latch in the flatwise direction, a roll-back pivoted on the said post and having two latch-.bolt-engaging lugs, and mechanism for operating the said roll-back in reverse directions.

6. The combination of a latch-case with a fixed stud or post on the said case, a slotted latch-bolt having its rear end mounted on and guided by the said post7 and also provided with two wings, a double-acting rollback for engaging the said latch-bolt, an easy spring for projecting the said latch bolt, mechanism for operating the said roll-back in either direction and a double-acting spring for returning the said mechanism and rollback.

7. The combination of a latch-bolt, with a knob spindle hub, mechanism for operatively connecting the said hub and latch-bolt, and a split-ring spring encircling the said hub and in connection with a stop on the case acting to return the said hub when turned in either direction.

8. The combination of a latch-bolt with a knob spindle hub, mechanism for operatively connecting the said hub and latch-bolt, a double-acting spring mounted directly on the said hub, and a stop on the case for the ends of the said spring to engage for returning the said hub when turned in either direction.

AMOS SHEPARD.

Witnesses:

THOMAS F. WELCH, EDWIN G. LEwIs.

IOO 

